Osceola to host reenactment events of the Arkansas Civil War

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

As the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in Arkansas, the Mississippi County Historical and Genealogical Society will host a series of reenactment events which took place in Osceola, paying tribute to the area's founding fathers who fought on both sides of the war.

Glynda Thompson, MCHGS president, said the first event will be an "enlistment reenactment' to be held Saturday, Sept. 24 on the Osceola courthouse square.

The "red, white and blue" rally will include actual enlistment ceremonies, a cowboy shoot-out, box lunches on the lawn, patriotic music, etc.

Women will make Confederate secession cockades and Union cockades. Thompson explained this is a knot of ribbons the ladies made for men to pin on their hat as a badge.

The Osceola event will also include a quilt show, demonstrating the legend quilts were used as symbols in the Underground Railroad; a soldiers' camp; period photographs; a Civil War memorabilia display; and a newspaper published as if it was 1861.

Participating in this event, along with MCHGS, are the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Hampson Museum in Wilson, Main Street Osceola, The Osceola Times, Osceola Senior Citizen Center, the Osceola-South Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce, Single Action Shooting Society, city of Osceola, and the Blytheville Greyhound Bus Museum.

Anyone who would like to display quilts during the show or participate in the reenactment are encouraged to contact the museum at 870-563-6161.

The public is invited to attend the event, which will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.